Strike the Teacher Strike Law

We are all aware of the issue of teachers striking illegally in Michigan. Detroit Public School teachers are the latest examples of illegal strikes.

Now it appears the Michigan Senate has had enough. There are three news Senate Bills 713, 714 and 715 which were introduced in Michigan’s Senate to attempt to put the money where the mouth is in Michigan’s 70 year old law against teacher strikes. The question I have is when this law was passed 70 years ago why were their no enforcement mechanism put in place to deal with teachers and unions who illegally strike?

react more quickly and penalize teachers and unions for participating in strikes.

school districts that failed to enforce sanctions against striking teachers would forfeit 5 percent of their school aid.

Last Tuesday the Senate Education Committee passed the three bills and sent them to the floor of the Senate. All of the Republican’s (that being 4) on the committee voted for the bills and as usual all the Democrat’s (that being one) on the committee voted against it.

I am curious why Democrats seem to have a problem with enforcing laws that they do not like or hurt their pocket book. When you do not follow and enforce the laws of the land you are essentially supporting dictatorship.

Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair, is the sponsor of Senate Bill 713 and chair of the Senate Education Committee, when asked why Michigan should strengthen anti-teacher strike law, he replied,

Because kids are being forced out of their classrooms, and the sooner we deal with the strikes at DPS the better. It’s important for those kids, because right now, the district is in free fall.

According to the article Senate Bill 713, and Senate Bill 714, “would speed up the process under which teachers would face penalties for participating in a strike and possibly increase the likelihood that they would be penalized.”

Senate Bill 715, says “that if a district failed to deduct a fine from the salary of a teacher who had violated the law against teacher strikes, after it had been ordered by the state to do so, it would forfeit an amount equal to 5 percent of the total state school aid it was due.”

Michigan State Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Highland Park, said he opposes the teacher strike legislation and was quoted in the article stating:

When you really look at it closely this legislation sort of goes against the principle behind whistleblower laws, these teachers have tried again and again to blow the whistle on the conditions in these schools. Now, out of sheer frustration, they are trying a different way of calling attention to what’s really happening.

Interesting how Democrat State Sen Johnson is admitting they are striking and is ok with them breaking the law. I simply ask you then why not just repeal the law Sen. Johnson?

Let’s talk about this today on The Live with Renk show, which airs Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon, to let me know your thoughts at (269) 441-9595.

Or please feel free to start a discussion and write your thoughts in the comment section.